Egg handling device



Aug- 209.1935 J. w. JOHNSON *2,011,972*

EGG HANDLI NG DEVI CE IN vV EN TOR.

BY www? A TTORNEYS.

Au@ zo, 1935.

J. W. JOHNSON 2,011,972

EGG HANDLING DEVICE Filed 001;. l5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l a. Z6

l/ /l /4 d ra?- l IEB rap- Jag IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

f certain` instances toy process them. able to carry 'outy thisoperation rapidly but due Patented Aug. 20, 1935 UNITE ogfffsrnrs EGG HANDLING ynevica Jamesy w. Johnson, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner@ Y`of one-halfto A. H. Massey, Los Angeles, Calif.

l f .Application October 15, 1932, SerialNo.' 637,896"

2 claims. (ci. fasi-#sviv to the fragile nature of the` product there has been some diiculty in quickly gradingv the eggs without breaking' themand in easily picking. them up and placingthem in cartons orjcrates. ,-Itis theprincipal object ,of the` presentr invention to provide adevioe byv which arelatively large number of eggs may be picked up in one; operation or graded and then candled or processed after which they may.besimultaneouslyset in proper packed-position within a crate or -in aseries of egg cartons and ina manner to insurethat th eggs'will not be brokenbyl handling.

The present invention contemplates the provisionofa frame having a handle structure and which frame is fitted -with a plurality of egg spacing means, and a pluralityof means adapted to be simultaneouslyoperatedto engage the eggs in a manner to cause Athem to be liftedgwiththe egg handling device when it is raised land to release the eggs in predetermined'systematically arranged relationship -to each other when desired. Theinventionis illustrated by way of example in. the accompanying drawings in which: f

Figure l is a view in plan showingthe pre--v ferred form o f rny invention.

Fig. 2 is a viewin vertical section and elevationy showing 4an `egg positionedA upon yan egy filler mat and indicating the lifting bars-in their engaged positions injsolid lines and their disengaged poV Referring' more `particularly f to the, drawings,

I indicates ac fra'me structure comprising paral-` lel endframes Il arid-I2 andparallel sideframes I3 and I4. This frame encloses a substantially square held, v`it'loeing understoodr that the walls extend'vertically and extend along the perimeter of an area sufficient to accommodate a predetermined number of eggs arranged in systematically spaced relationto each other. In the drawings the frame is shown as being of proper dimensions to accommodate three` dozen eggs. i lAbfall I5 .is securedA from "one end of the frame member Il to theopposite 'end frame member yI2 and midway jthe lengths thereof so that the entire vstruc.-v ture maybe easily lifted. Extending transverse 1y between ythe end frame members I3 and'IlI are a plurality ofeggengagingfbars I6. rThese barsmay be formed of straight flexible strips of material of uniform width andthickness throughout or they may be formed"y at opposite sides 'with recesses 'I'I land I'I whichare uni'formlyspaced along. opposite sides-'of the bars and are intended to conformfto the vsectional contour of `an egg whichis to befengaged thereby and lifted in fthe handling device; "It has been found in operation of devices of thisfcharacter thatdue to the 'fact that eggs Ymay" vary.`in-diameters at the point'V of engagement by the barsk lI lthereis the possibility that an egg of'unusually-large diameter will be caught between thebars Iii-'as they turn and be crushed. vIn'ordei` to elim'inate'this Veffect the bars IB 'are preferably made o-f spring steel so that Athey may" ilex `laterally and yield to" accommodate the 'egg. #The opposite ends ,ofr the bars I Gf are formed along one' edge lwith pintlesfIS which extend longitudinally of the` opposite ends of the'bar and `in` longitudinal alignment and extend "through openings', I9 inthev4 end Aframe members II and I2. These piritlesprovideapive otal mountingforfeach of the `bars so 'thatfthe bars ymay swingonftheirflongitudinal axes and may be moved to assume positionsin parallelre-A lation fto eachv other as shown in Fig. ll-oraslly-V fing inacommon plane as 'shown in Fig. 3. The

with'i perforationsZI tosreceive an extensionlugy 22'projecting from the fendi of each bar .rand by which?y the egg 4engaging bars I6 maybe rotated romtheir horizontallyaligried positions as shown in Fig. S-"totheir vertically parallelpos'itionsas shown-in Figgf; `fThelshiftin`g bar 26 isi moved longitudinally by? a link E23 v"which is pivoted' to the barat `25 and in tur-n issecured vloyza pivot pin-".24to`a'rshifting lever 26. The lever 261i`s i inthe `formi-of l a. bail .which extends transversely of fthe "frame`- structure TI 0 and is `pivoted thereto upon pins2l-by ywhich itis attached tooppos'itev members' o f theframeff-'l'he bail `26 as'will be seen extendsat right angles to the handle I 5.v 1

In" ord'erto space 'the 1 eggs Iin equal relation to each other longitudinally betweenfthe bars? I6 supporting bars 28 are provided and secured bevtween vthe frame members I3 and I4 and at right `figure. y

will rotate on their longitudinal axes and'permit will limit the downward movement of eggsv of predetermined size and will permit eggs of smaller size to pass through the openings `so that the device maybe used for grading eggs.

In operation of the present invention the structure is assembled as shown in the drawings and when it is to be used as an egg grading device the lifting bars are disposed in a'parallel plane as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. 'I'he `frame may be supported above a receptacleland theA eggs may be deposited in each of the openings 3| `formedby adjacent portions |'l and |'|"in axvertically:`

endwise position so that the smaller eggs will shown in Fig. lof thefdrawings and will move the bars from their horizontally aligned positions-as indicatedparticularly by solid lines in'Fig.6 to the dotted line positions indicated `in the same When the bars move in thismannerthey the eggs to drop from the openings 3| into areceptacle or carton preparedfor them.

In some instances itmaybe desirable to pick up several dozen eggs at one time and to thereafter deposit them in a crate or in ay series Vof cartons which would each accommodate a proportion of the eggs carried by the device. InZ order to do this it is desirable for the eggs vtobe set endwise on paper or cardboard fillers, such as the oneindicated at 32 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In such a positionthe egg handlingdevicemay be placed over and around the eggs-while the bars |-6 stand in their vertical` 'parallel positions;r as indicated by dotted lines in'Fig. 6 of the drawings,` after which theoperating handle v26 vmay be moved inthe direction indicated by thearrow b in Fig.4 of the drawings to cause the egg handling bars to swing against the eggs and to engage them along a diameter which is lessthan the maximum diameter of the eggs.' This will insure that'lthe eggs willzbe vsupported by the egg lifting b ars-v so that the entire quantityof eggs maybe` simultae neouslylifted in the device and mayithereafter be released and deposited upon a desired surface or in a desired receptaclefby swinging the lifting barsv to their vertical parallel positions.y Inr the event that there -isa variation in the sizeof the eggs it is evident that rigid liftingbars might be come ,wedged between adjacenteggs 'andfcausej these eggs tobe'cracked Loricrushed. i Itis for that reason that the spacing bars `28gare flexible so that they will yield, and it is for-af1similar reason that the lifting bars are `madeoffiexible spring steel so that they-will` accommodate eggs varying in size and permit the'` bars to yieldably adjust themselves to the eggs as the bars lswing from their vertical parallel positions to their horizontally aligned positions; g

It will thus be seen that the egg handling device here disclosed is of simple construction and may be inexpensively manufactured, and that due to its design it may be easily operated and carried from place to place so that eggs may be readily picked up and deposited as desired.

While I'have shown the preferrediform of my invention as now known to me it will be understoodxthat various changes may be madein the combination, construction andi arrangement of parts without departing from" the spirit of the ,invention as claimed.

Vpick up eggswith relation to a packing case filter tray which comprises a rectangular frame, a bail therefor-pivotedto the opposite sides thereof and h n adapted` to swing vertically, a plurality of lifting fall through the openings between the bars and bars disposed in parallel spaced relation to each other within"` the'frame, leach of said bars being formed withlongitudinally aligned pivots offset from the. longitudinal axis of the bars and pivotally supported inthe frame, the ends of said bars being` eachformed with another pin offset at the opposite sideof the longitudinal axis of the bar, said lifting bars being'characterized as being made of fiat fiexiblemetal andfasformed along opposite edges with-a `plurality of scallops, complementary scallops Vof adjacentlifting bars being in register to engage ftheopposite sides of an egg, a pair of shifting bars, one `disposed adjacent the opposite ends ofthellifting bars and formed with a plurality of openings -to receive the second named set of vpins formed'as part ofthe lifting bars, and means connectedwith the `bail for moving the Ashiftingbars and to simultaneously produce rotationof the .lifting bars around the longitudinal axis of their `frame pivots. l

w 2; An' egg handling deviceladapgted to set and pick up eggs with relation to apacking case filler tray which comprises a rectangular frame, a bail therefor pivoted to the opposite sides thereof and adapted'to swing vertically, a plurality of lifting bars disposed 'in parallel `spaced relation to each otherwithin the frame, each ofv said bars being formed with longitudinally aligned pivots offset from the longitudinal axis of the bars and pivotally supported'in the frame, the ends of said bars being formed with another pin offset at the opposite side of the longitudinal axis ofthe bar, said bars being characterized asbeing made of flat flexible metal andas formed along opposite edges with a-plurality of'scalllops.complementary scallops of adjacent lifting bars being in register to' engage the opposite sides -ofA an egg,V rigid supporting bars extended transversely of the lifting y bars and ltherebeneath, said lifting bars being vformed with `a series of slots along their lower pins formed as part of the lifting bars,'and means connected with the bail jfor moving the `lifting barsiand' to simultaneously produce rotation of.

the lifting Lbars varound the longitudinal "axis of' thei'rframe'.'

" 1 'JAMES W. JOHNSON. 

